My Story
From a country boy to a life I never could have imagined
I grew up a country boy in southern Utah.
My early years were spent on a farm in Hatton, between Meadow and Kanosh. Life was pretty simple. There were animals to care for, chores to do, school to attend, church activities, family gatherings, and plenty of opportunities to learn how to work.
At the time, I didn't think there was anything particularly unusual about the way we lived.
It was simply home.
Looking back now, I realize those early years taught me some of the most important lessons of my life.
Work hard. Keep your word. Help people. Appreciate what you have. And remember where you came from.
Growing Up
Growing up on a farm gave me experiences that children today probably wouldn't understand.
There were horses, sheep, machinery, dirt roads and chores. There were small towns where people knew one another and where families, neighbors, schools and churches were closely connected.
I attended school in Kanosh and later traveled to Fillmore for junior high.
Those communities and the people who lived there became part of who I am.
I didn't know it then, but the little country boy in those photographs had quite a journey ahead of him.
Faith and Service
Faith has been an important part of my life from my earliest years.
As a young man I had the opportunity to serve as a missionary. That experience took me away from the familiar surroundings of home and introduced me to different people, places and experiences.
Over the years, church service continued to be an important part of my life.
I have had opportunities to serve, teach, lead and work with many wonderful people.
Some assignments were easy. Others stretched me.
But almost all of them taught me something about people.
And perhaps that has been one of the recurring lessons of my life:
People matter.
Melinda
Then came one of the most important parts of my story.
Melinda.
Marriage changed my life.
From that point forward, it wasn't just my journey anymore. It became our journey.
Through the years we have experienced the ordinary and the extraordinary together.
We have raised children, worked, served, worried, laughed, traveled, celebrated, struggled, prayed and watched our family grow.
When I look back over my life, Melinda is woven through almost every important part of it.
Our Family
Our children came along, and eventually our family grew to include sons- and a daughter in-law and grandchildren.
There isn't much that makes me happier than having family around.
As a younger man, I was busy building a career, raising a family and trying to take care of all the responsibilities that came with life.
As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate even more just how precious those family relationships are.
Jobs change. Possessions come and go. Years pass surprisingly fast.
But the relationships we build with people are what remain.
Building a Career
My career took me into the insurance business.
I spent many years working with clients, building relationships, learning about business and trying to take good care of the people who trusted me.
There were successes and there were disappointments.
There were long days, goals to reach, problems to solve and lessons that could only be learned through experience.
Business taught me something that has stayed with me:
Good business is really about relationships.
People want to know that you care about them—not simply about the business they bring you.
That lesson eventually became very important in another part of my life.
Service
Some of the most meaningful experiences of my life have had nothing to do with earning a living.
They came from serving.
Church assignments, Scouting, community activities, helping young people, working with families and simply being available when somebody needed something all became part of my life.
I certainly didn't do everything perfectly.
But I learned that when we spend some of our time helping somebody else, we usually receive much more than we give.
The Hard Years
I don't want my story to make life sound perfect.
It wasn't.
Our family experienced sickness, disappointments, worry and some very difficult periods.
I had struggles of my own.
Some experiences I would never choose to go through again.
But they are part of my story too.
Those difficult seasons taught me to appreciate the good days.
They strengthened my faith,
helped me understand other people better
and reminded me how much we need one another.
I can look back now and see blessings that weren't always easy to recognize while I was going through them.
Adventure
Fortunately, life hasn't been all work!
Melinda and I have had some wonderful adventures together.
Traveling and seeing this beautiful country has given us memories that I treasure.
Motorcycles became part of that adventure.
There is something special about seeing the mountains, deserts, canyons and small towns from the road.
Sometimes you need to stop long enough to notice just how beautiful life is.
Grand children —
A Different Season
Being a grandfather has brought another dimension to my life.
Watching another generation grow has caused me to think differently about my own story.
I find myself wanting to preserve memories.
I want my children and grandchildren to know something about where they came from.
I want them to know about the people who came before them.
And I want them to know something about what I learned along the way.
That is one of the reasons I have spent so much time working on my personal history.
There are stories worth preserving.
I’m Not Finished Yet
Growing older doesn't mean you have to stop learning.
I am learning to play the piano.
I'm also learning the banjo.
I still enjoy traveling, photography, cooking, spending time with family and trying things that interest me.
Some things come more easily than others!
But I think there is something healthy about being a beginner again.
It reminds you that there is always something more to learn.
Gratitude
As I look back over all these years, one word keeps coming to mind:
Gratitude.
I am grateful for Melinda.
I am grateful for my family.
I am grateful for friends.
I am grateful for people who taught me, encouraged me and sometimes corrected me.
I am grateful for opportunities.
I am even grateful for some of the difficult experiences because of what they taught me.
And I have learned that it isn't enough just to feel grateful.
We need to express it.
Acting on a Prompting
Sometimes a person's name comes into my mind.
Maybe it's an old friend.
Maybe it's somebody I haven't talked with for years.
Maybe it's someone having a difficult time.
I've learned that when I have one of those little promptings, I ought to do something about it.
Call them. Visit them. Send a message. Send a card. Tell them you appreciate them.
Don't wait.
That simple idea has become an important part of how I try to live.
And it is the reason gratitude and Promptings have a place on this website.
Still Writing the Story
As I look back over my life, I have a lot of memories behind me.
But I don't think of my story as finished.
There are still places I want to see.
Things I want to learn.
People I want to spend time with.
Stories I want to write down.
And hopefully, people I can encourage along the way.
I don't know what the remaining chapters will contain.
But I'm looking forward to finding out.
Spreading Gratitude is the Key.
Being Kind is the Way!
— Ted Whitaker